Are there still ice cream trucks in LA?

[ipsedixit]

If so, which neighborhoods?

[malibumike]

There is an independent one that ocassionally patrols the streets of Malibu Park, above Zuma Beach, In Malibu, I understand that he does it just as a hobby, cant give you a schedule though, it seems to be hit or miss. When our dogs hear the music they all howl like the hounds of the Baskerville.

[mamachete]

www.myspace.com/meltdownpopsicles

[lotta_cox]

There is an ice cream truck van, motorized, every single day at the tennis courts in Elysian Park right around 4 pm. A guy walks around Lake Echo Park with an ice cream handtruck.

tada.

[mamachete]

check out meltdownpopsicles. myspace.com/meltdownpopsicles.

[jmulheim]

I just bought ice cream from a truck a few weeks ago at Finkbaker park in Glendora. The truck was parked there all day. I live in Monrovia, and have never seen a truck there though. My kids love the super man and Dora ice creams....but I have to say Dora looked insanely spooky when her black gumball eyes started to run like mascara over the whole pop.

[Rizza]

Torrance - Southwood area - every day. With everything from bomb pops, to choco tacos, to cartoon character shapes, super fun.

[ruddy]

1 more SGV affirmation--here in "Southern South Pasadena" (South of Huntington), we have a guy who has been a regular fixture on our street for nearly the entire 10 years we have lived here. Finally changed his "tune" a couple of years ago, but before that it was the "Lambada Truck", thanks to the tinny recording which always sounded like it was running downhill.

[klaatu]

I've seen guys who sell pre-packages frozen treats, but no real, soft serve ice cream trucks.

[writergirl]

I've never seen a soft-serve truck in So Cal...I think that's an East Coast thing (Mr. Softee, right?) I grew up here, and have only seen the packaged "frozen novelties."

[klaatu]

It's sad. It's a store on wheels. They don't make sundaes or banana splits or milkshakes or anything.

[nitaj]

We do have them in L.A. Just had a hot fudge sundae from a truck last night while at my son's football practice in South L.A. During his 2 hour practice at least 7 or 8 ice cream trucks pass by the park. The elote man and tamale lady also come by so always a quick dinner available.

[writergirl]

cool! Are they common? I have honestly never even heard of them here, but have seen them when I lived back east.

[nitaj]

Pretty common where I live but I still do see the type with the pre-packaged ice cream more frequently.

[nrique]

In East L.A. there are a few soft serve trucks (independents) that service the area. They have the usual, Banana splits, cones and sundaes. They are rare, most of the trucks serve pre packaged ice cream and most of them are run by immigrants. It's hard down here to find someone that speaks English.
So the trucks down here are in bad shape, except for the occasional new truck, serve countless variety of ice cream and other stuff.
But as for a franchised truck such as Mr Frostee, yeah that's an east coast thing.

[Mando]

in L.A. we have other regional specialties. I remember when i grew up in El Sereno it was all about the snowcone man or the Paleta ( mexican popsicles? they tend to have more tropical flavors like mango or tamarindo) man in addition to the ice cream truck. If you never have you should give those a try. I never really saw soft serve at any of the trucks growing up but its been a while and times may have changed.

[OCKevin]

There is an ice cream truck which comes by in Irvine usually after 5 p.m. during the weekdays. The truck plays nothing but three Christmas carols ("Jingle Bells," "Rudolph" and "Winter Wonderland") on its loudspeaker. I think it's the cruelest form of subliminal advertising. Cruel, not because it brainwashes the kids into associating the truck with Christmas, but because it drives me completely nuts.

[iknowfood64]

Come down to any public park in East L.A. around 4 p.m. and you are guranteed to hear the music of a ice cream truck. There is one that runs through my neighborhood and for one dollar you can get any ice cream on a cone, whipped cream and a little fudge on top.

[dinainla]

Is there a way to get a name and phone number for this truck
Does anyone know of a soft serve ice cream truck for a party
in west la ?

[flavasista]

ice cream carts & trucks are still around. i live in palms and see them frequently. they tend to drive around streets with lots of apt. complexes - such as the koreatown area (down wilton/arlington). i noticed the trucks are usually beat up/rusted and have lost much of their colorful visual appeal.

since we are in la - for more charm & appeal there is ice cream truck service called heartschallenger - a specialty truck stocked with international ice cream candy and toys and are available for private parties/events. i noticed them at a trendy art show in downtown la - it's possible to get some of the old-school ice cream bars but can't guarantee the same items/price as regular ice cream trucks.

http://www.myspace.com/heartschallenger
phone/fax: [phone]

[NAspy]

Now that you mention it -- our ice cream truck is no more. It used to drive by regularly, though it was kind of an ambivalent experience for the kids to race up to a tinkling truck with graffiti all over it and a gruff Persian thrusting his hand out the barred up windows to take a dollar and wordlessly deliver a stale confection.

We now have the friendly paleta guy strolling by with his hand cart and bell, and the mustachioed corn man with his horn and like those much better.

[katkoupai]

I saw one in Eagle Rock two days ago.

[webb]

+1. Eagle Rock ice cream trucks are go.

[Ernie]

We have them here in San Pedro (Vista Del Oro neighborhood)

[ttriche]

You've gotta be kidding me -- on my street in Altadena there's a guy who comes by all the time, especially on weekends. And in East LA you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an ice cream truck. Maybe your definition of the SGV is different from what I'm thinking of, though -- perhaps there's some kind of ordinance in San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Arcadia, etc. against them.

[jencounter]

Does the SFV count? Because we get them all the time here, as soon as the weather warms up. In fact, the Ice Cream Man was having an affair with my neighbor and totally got caught which resulted in a fight in my front yard - I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Also: there is an ice cream truck supply store here in Northridge - they carry all the good stuff including <i>real</i> big sticks and bomb pops - you can't find those (bomb pops) in the grocery store anymore, only sad, half-sized immitations. And the best part? The store is so cheap it's almost free.

[nrique]

You got any contact info on that supply store in Northridge?

[jencounter]

This is a late reply (I'm good at checking old threads except not): it's on Parthenia btwn Wilbur and Tampa. North side of the street, look for all of the ice cream trucks. Also: parking's a bit of a nightmare so beware.

[slowrider]

El Sereno, City Terrace, Boyle Heights, Alhambra, East L.A.., Lincoln Heights, Montebello.

[Das Ubergeek]

We have one daily in our neighbourhood in Anaheim... and we had two or three, plus the "la cucaracha" truck (that sells produce, etc.) when we lived on the NoHo/Van Nuys border.

Now, if they had an Italian ice truck... I realise I can go down to Joe's on Harbor and Chapman for Italian ice, but it used to come to ME when I was a kid in New Jersey, and later, my sister drove the truck.

[Emme]

There's always one in the late mornings/early afternoons on California between 24th and 25th or 26th in Santa Monica next to the park.

Also down by the park in Balboa Park in Encino.

[nrique]

Ice cream trucks are everywhere, there are TONS in the Montebello East L.A. area. Seems there are two ice cream wholesalers here that have big yards to park the trucks in.
Unfortunately they ALL sell the same items, blue bunny, Good Humor, soda and chips.
I'm thinking of getting into the biz and looking into getting a truck.
Does any one remember the Bene Bene truck on the west side. It used to do private parties and events, only sold Gelato.

[zruilong]

SW Gardena, by South Park and Furawa Park has 2 trucks that make the rounds. There are also a number of push carts that make their way up the street.

Torrance, by the civic center, has trucks (actually I know of one for sure that is still running, and its a converted van). This is in the area of Columbia and Delthorne park.

[PaulF]

They are everywhere ...

I've seen them in Santa Monica, West LA, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Norwalk, Hacienda Heights, Hawthorne ... everywhere ...

Anywhere there is a park with kids. Anywhere there is a little league field or a soccer tournament.

They all sell the same old stuff, too. Bomb pops. Eskimo Pies. Dipped cones. Candy. Soda. Bottled water. Popsicles.

[mc michael]

Some have other stuff like Sponge Bobs with M&M eyes, etc.

[garvanza girl]

Ice cream trucks are alive and well in Garvanza!

[ickster]

I remember an ice cream truck that served vanilla and vanilla-chocolate soft serve bitd. Funny thing is I saw the truck in different neighborhoods. Not sure if it was a series of trucks or the same truck. While it wasnt mindblowing, the ice cream was tasty and fresh.

[Ogawak]

We live in Santa Monica near Pico and Lincoln. There is an ice cream truck that comes by every afternoon in the summer.

[slacker]

Highland Park.

[smssms]

the truck in my area in HP probably plays the weirdest jingle ever- the theme song from godfather.

[saucydiva]

>theme song from godfather

Mine used to play the theme from Love Story. I imagined all the ladies of a certain age bursting into spontaneous tears from east to west as the truck trundled by, and a whole neighborhood of children growing up with a nagging distrust of frozen treats.

[aurora50]

Mine play Christmas songs in the summer.

[rds246]

http://www.heartschallenger.com/

[Erika RollerGirl]

When I lived in Koreatown there were always ice cream trucks in the neighborhood. Now I live in Lake Balboa/Van Nuys and even here, in my middle-class residential neighborhood, they come down my street daily.

[kat_dew]

We live in Lomita (near Torrance) and the ice cream truck comes by everyday around 6 PM and like David K said it just makes you grin. Unless the music goes on and on and on and on because the whole neighborhood is there :)

[aurora50]

Where I live, in south Ontario (Calif.), 1-2 ice cream trucks patrol pretty frequently.

[choctastic]

I live in Koreatown right now and there are still ice cream trucks. Saw one this morning.

[msmd310]

Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills has an ice cream man who frequents the park daily

[silence9]

Pinkberry should copy the ice cream truck business model. It would be humorous to see the Brentwood soccer moms and Bev Hills cougars running down the street for their afternoon fix...

[BeenThereAteThat]

Be careful, BTW:

http://www.ocregister.com/investigati...

[woofer]

i live in westwood, right by the westwood charter school. i always hear the ice cream truck on the weekends.

[BeenThereAteThat]

I only see them in poor neighborhoods. Get down to south central LA and you'll see them.

[David Kahn]

We live in Hancock Park, and while it's not an everyday thing, once every couple of weeks we get one driving by. (The sound always makes me happy.)

[mojoeater]

I see those guys with the little handcarts all over Los Feliz/Silverlake. The only actual truck I've seen is a sketchy rusted van.

[ipsedixit]

Must be a Los Feliz/Silverlake thing, I can't seem to find any in the SGV ...

[fishybear10]

I think you can find them anytime when school is out at any SGV area elementary school.

[mc michael]

There's a truck usually on weekends at Kidspace in Pasadena. The handcart folks are in the city, especially Pico-Union, Echo Park, etc.

[monku]

SGV....around parks like Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel. You aren't missing anything, same novelty items you can get in a 7-11.

[Chowpatty]

Just look in front of any neighborhood park...there are ice cream trucks everywhere. My kids used to frequent the one in front of Silver Lake park.

[DanaB]

To echo Chowpatty and several others, there is usually an ice cream truck parked in front of the Community Center at the park at the south end of Silverlake.